A BBC investigation has uncovered systematic and deadly persecution of gay men and women in Iraq, with law enforcement agencies actively involved in the violence. Activists report that dozens, if not hundreds, of gay people have been killed in recent years, while the Western-backed government allegedly turns a blind eye or participates in the abuses.
The United Nations has stated that the Iraqi government's failure to prosecute these acts of violence makes the state a perpetrator in the crimes. In post-occupation Iraq, being gay or even appearing gay can result in a death sentence, with victims facing so-called 'honour killings' by families or attacks by militia groups.
Gay individuals in Iraq have limited safe havens, with only one safehouse in Baghdad capable of housing three people. Other shelters have been raided and shut down by the government. A 2009 Human Rights Watch report noted that dozens, and possibly hundreds, of gay men have been killed since the US invasion, mostly by radical militia groups.
The Iraqi government claims to have disbanded the militias, but gay men report they remain active and dangerous. Fear also extends to police and military checkpoints, where allegiances are blurred, making it easy for the government to blame militia groups for killings. Iraq's Human Rights Ministry says it cannot help gay people as they are not considered a minority, and has passed cases to the Interior Ministry, which did not respond to BBC requests for comment.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's spokesman denied organised persecution, stating that gay Iraqis should 'live their lives a normal way'. However, analysts note that Iraq's conservative culture alone does not explain the scale of persecution, as other countries in the region show more tolerance. During Saddam Hussein's era, gay people enjoyed some liberty, but conservative Islamic forces that gained power after the US-led invasion have been unwilling to tolerate open homosexuality.
